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APUIM FAQ

Updated: 2003/09/03 14:15

Introduction

This is a general purpose FAQ, it covers some topics about the service in general and some relating to specifics of APUIM supported clients. For more detail, please read through the other documentation available, including online manuals specific to your APUIM supported client. If you still have a question that is not addressed, please contact support.

Sections

    Getting Started

  1. Q: How do I get started?

    1. Sign-up for the service by clicking on the Sign-up link on the APUIM Website.
    2. Go to the Download Page and install a Jabber client for your Operating System.
    3. Install and configure the client using the Install Guide listed for your chosen client.
    4. Reference the Documentation Page for further details of how to use the service.


  2. Q: What is APUIM?

    3. APUIM is APU's Secure Instant Messaging (IM) service, allowing for communication with other üdeupa users as well as users of MSN Messenger, Yahoo!Messenger, ICQ, and AIM public IM services.


  3. Q: Who can use APUIM?

    4. Anyone with an activated üdeupa account.


  4. Q: Why would I want to use this service?

    5. If you already use Instant Messaging, its probably with one (or several) of the Public Instant Messaging networks (AIM, ICQ, Yahoo!, MSN). The main advantage of using APUIM over these services is the security provided by our system. If you use AIM, all "private" communication between you and your contacts, goes un-encrypted over the public Internet to AOL's AIM servers. In theory, anyone along the way could pick up this traffic. Also, there is a level of trust that is placed on AOL themselves to secure the data that is stored on their AIM servers. Certainly, APU could not have its staff members communicating student data over these public networks without encryption. APUIM provides SSL encryption, much like your bank website uses to secure data between your computer and the service.

    Acknowledging the extensive use of Public IM to communicate with the extended community of APU (Parents, Alumni, other collegues from other institutions), APUIM also provides a bridge to the Public Networks via Transports. Transports, are bridges that allow you to use one software application to continue to communicate with your existing (AIM, MSN, Yahoo!, and ICQ) contacts. You may have experienced a problem of one of your contacts using a different IM system than you, and have had to have multiple IM clients running at the same time on your computer just to communicate. Some have solved this problem by running Trillian, a multi-service IM application. APUIM uses Jabber, which sort of does the same thing as Trillian, but on the protocol level on the server. This means that when you switch machines or change programs you do not have to re-configure all of your services. All traffic, regardless of the IM service used, is ultimately delivered to your computer via the Jabber protocol. The Jabber protocol (XMPP) is the only Open Internet Standard for Instant Messaging. This means that APU's investment in this technology will not go away any time soon, and will allow open communication with the world. It is important to note that the Transports only work because of extensive work by programmers reverse-engineering the proprietary protocols such as AIM uses. Therefore, APU cannot guarantee that its transports will continue to work continuously, or support all the same features as the official client supports. Also communication with the Transports is not secure, it is the same as using the Public IM services directly.


  5. Q: What does the term Jabber mean?

    6. Jabber is a set of protocols expressed within XML that allow people and applications to converse with one another. (DJ Adams, "Programming Jabber", O'Reilly)

    Jabber actually means several different things in the context of Instant Messaging. It is both a Protocol (XMPP) and the implementation of that protocol. There is a the Jabber Software Foundation, responsible for the maintenance of the protocol. There is an Open Source Jabber Community who creates software that makes use of the protocol. There is several companies producing and supporting software relating to Jabber technology, the first of which is called Jabber Inc. Jabber Inc. made a Windows IM application called Jabber Messenger; APU customized a version of this and calls it APU Jabber Messenger, APU JM for short.


  6. Q: If someone asks me what IM system we're using what should I say?

    7. You should say, "Our University uses the Jabber Instant Messaging System". You can point them to http://apuim.apu.edu for more information. If they would like to communicate with you, they can do so via any Jabber service, or through the Public IM Transports (AIM,ICQ,Yahoo!,MSN).


    Making Contact

  7. Q: How do I find other APU people who use APUIM?

    8. You can search for other users from the Jabber client software. The method of searching varies depending on the client you are using.

    In APU Jabber Messenger you can click on Find - Contact and search by various criteria. Only those who have signed up for the service will be listed.

    In Psi click on the Psi Main Menu and then Browse Services. Next double click on the LDAP Users Directory where you can search based on various criteria.


  8. Q: How do I add people to my roster or contact list?

    9. You can look for the Plus Sign and Add a Contact.

    You will need to know the exact Jabber ID (JID) of the contact you wish to add. JID's are a lot like email addresses, and follow the following pattern:

    üdeupa username@apuim.apu.edu

    Alternately, the search tools defined in the previous FAQ question, allow you to add a contact once you are done searching for them.


  9. Q: How come I search for an apu person and nothing comes back?

    10. Only those registered for the APUIM service will appear. Perhaps you are using the "name" field which is actually the full name not just the first or last name. Other problems include timeouts. If your search is too broad, the server will time out. Make sure to be patient as it will take about 30 seconds to time out. You can also use wildcards (ex. First: Jen*) to search for a range of possible results. Timeouts will occur if you search for anything less than two characters.


  10. Q: Can people outside of APU instant message with me? How?

    11. Yes. They can do so through several means.

    APUIM is based on the Jabber Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP). Unlike centralized proprietary public IM services such as AOL Instant Messenger, Jabber servers can communicate with each other. Any public IM service which is based on Jabber should interoperate with APUIM. For instance, someone could visit the jabber.org website download a client, and connect to any of the publicly available Jabber servers. When adding a contact you would simply need to know the persons Jabber ID (JID), for instance joeuser@jabber.org.

    The second way that non-apu users can IM with you is through the Public IM networks. APUIM implemented server-side Transports which bridge APUIM with AIM, ICQ, Yahoo!, and MSN public networks. It is important to note that only communication with other APU users via the Jabber protocol is secure. This service is provided as a convenience, and APU cannot control the reliabilty of these public IM services. For more information on setting this up, see the Transport documentation.


  11. Q: How do I add my AIM, MSN, Yahoo, and ICQ people to APU IM?

    12. Please see the detailed documentation found here.


  12. Q: How do I organize the people on my roster?

    13. Organization of people on your roster, or contact list, is through the use of groups. You can assign each person to a group of your choosing. Traditionally people use groups such as "Work", "Department", "Family", or "Friends". It may be helpful to create groups for each public IM service you may be using.

    In the APU Jabber Messenger Client, click on Add - and select Group. Type in the name of the group you would like to add. To put a person in a group, you can click and drag their icon into that group.

    In Psi client you can right click (Alt-Click on Macintosh) and select Group and then Create New to make a new group. To move someone into that group you can click and drag them to the group of your choice. You can alternately right click and select Group and then the name of the group you would like to move them to.


  13. Q: When people look at my profile the information is wrong, how can I fix that?

    14. The profile, sometimes called a Vcard (Virtual Business Card), gives others basic directory information about yourself. You can update your profile information by going to your üdeupa account. Under the "Account Management" Module select "Edit Contact Information"


  14. Q: Why does it say username@aim.apuim.apu.edu in my roster?

    15. Every user needs a Jabber ID. APUIM users have their üdeupa username@apuim.apu.edu as their JID.
    Users of public IM systems are assigned a JID with the Transport name, such as "nickname@yahoo.apuim.apu.edu.
    MSN uses e-mail addresses for user names, so they will show up a little differently, either just the e-mail address, or emailaddress@msn.apuim.apu.edu.


  15. Q: Can I change the name username@aim.apuim.apu.edu to something that makes sense to me, like the person's real name?

    16. Yes. You can right click (alt-click on Mac) on a person in your roster, and select Nickname or Rename.

    APU Jabber Messenger has a neat feature that will allow you to quickly rename a Jabber contact to their short nickname as listed in the directory. Right click on a contact and select "Rename Contact From Profile". This only works for APU Jabber contacts


  16. Q: What is the difference between (Connected) and (Available) next to the Transport/Gateway icons in the top of my roster?

    17. There appears to be no difference between those two status messages.


    General

  17. Q: How do I change my Password?

    18. You cannot change your password from any Jabber client. You can change your password through the üdeupa website.


  18. Q: Doesn't IM decrease productivity in the workplace?

    19. IM is a communications tool similar to a phone. As such, it is neither specifically positive or negative. As with any other resource, it is the responsibility of the supervisor to ensure that their employees are being good stewards. There are many cases where IM has improved productivity, and enabled new operational opportunities not otherwise possible. This is especially among geographically dispersed employees.

    Bells & Whistles (APU Jabber Messenger)

  19. Q: I can't find how to change my status from available to away?

    20. In APU JM Client the Status is on the bottom of the screen. Clicking on the little person, quick-changes between modes. Clicking on the name of the status, such as available will bring up a menu for you to choose a detailed away status.


  20. Q: "I'm away" is boring can I change it to something more `fun'?

    21. Yes. In the APU Jabber Messenger Client, select Status then Customize.


  21. Q: Can I have APU IM program start running as soon as log on to my computer?

    22. Go to Tools on the menu bar and select Options. Under the "General" section check the box that reads: "Run this program when Windows Starts".


  22. Q: I really don't like the toaster "pop-up" when people come online, how can I turn it off?

    23. Go to Tools on the menu bar and select Options. Under the "Contacts" section uncheck "Show pop-up alert when a contact comes online".


  23. Q: How do I set my status to "away" automatically?

    24. You can go to Tools on the menu bar and select options. Under the "Contacts" section you will see an option "Away Status" where you can select the number of minutes of inactivity before status is changed to "away".

    If you don't like auto-away then you can uncheck the option.


  24. Q: When I receive an instant message I like the message window to pop up, can I have that?

    25. Yes, select Tools on the menu bar, then options and go to the "Instant Message" section (under the Contacts Tab section). You can select to either have the message window pop up, the task bar flash, or both by checking the appropriate box(es).


  25. Q: When I receive an instant message I don't want a message window to automatically pop up how can I turn off that feature?

    26. Go to Tools on the menu bar, then options and go to the "Instant Message" section (under the Contacts Tab section). You can select to either have the message window pop up, the task bar flash, or both by checking the appropriate box(es).


  26. Q: Can I play a sound when someone from my roster comes online?

    27. Yes, that feature is turned on and off under Tools on the menu bar, Options, Contacts section.


  27. Q: Can I change the sound when someone from my roster comes online or goes offline?

    28. This is not supported in the current version if APU JM.


    Bells & Whistles (Psi)

  28. Q: I can't find how to change my status from available to away?

    29. Click on the Online box on the bottom right corner of the window, and select Away.


  29. Q: "I'm away" is boring can I change it to something more `fun'?

    30. Select the Options from the Psi main menu, click on the Presence tab where you can edit or add new custom status messages.

  30. Q: Can I have PSI start running as soon as log on to my computer?

    31. Unfortunately there is no internal easy method within Psi for turning this on. However there are Operating System methods for doing this which vary.

    On Windows, this can be done by adding a shortcut to Psi in your Windows Startup Folder. The easiest way to get to your startup folder is by right clicking on your Start Menu and selecting "Explore". Browse Start Menu to "Programs" then "Startup". Right click and drag the "Psi" icon from the desktop to the "Startup" folder, and select "Copy Here".


  31. Q: Can I have toaster pop-up when someone in my roster goes online?

    32. Psi doesn't support toaster pop-ups. Instead it uses animations in the roster. Go to "Options" select the "Presence" tab, and check "Animate the roster when a contact comes online" feature under "Misc". If you also have the "Scroll roster to contact on event" option enabled under "Misc" on the "Events" tab, then the roster will scroll to a person when they come on line and display an animation.


  32. Q: How do I set my status to "away" automatically?

    33. Under "Options" select the "Presence" tab. The "Auto Status" section allows you to enable Auto Away. Jabber has two auto-away presence modes: Away, and Extended Away (XA). You can set time values fore each of these. You can also change the message that gets displayed when you Auto Away.


  33. Q: When I receive an instant message I like the message window to pop up, can I have that?

    34. Go to "Options" and select the "Event" tab. Check "Autopopup New Messages" and "Autopopup New Chats". You can also configure whether or ont you want to have windows pop up while you are away.


  34. Q: When I receive an instant message I don't want a message window to automatically pop up how can I turn off that feature?

    35. Go to "Options" and select the "Event" tab. Uncheck "Autopopup New Messages" and "Autopopup New Chats".


  35. Q: What are the differences between "Messages" and "Chats"?

    36. Jabber implemented two kinds of communications modes.

    • Messages are more like email in that they are one time messages and don't have a chat window to respond. Responding to messages is similar to email, you have to hit reply.
    • Chats are what most people think of when they think of IM. A window for interactive chat which has an area for you to type in the bottom half.

    If you have a received a message when you were offline, Jabber stores the data and delivers it to you in this "Message" form when you sign on.

    APU Jabber Messenger treats all incoming messages as chat sessions. Psi gives you the ability to determine if you would like to receive all messages as Chats, Messages, or leave them the way they came. You can change this setting in the "Receive" section under the "Events" tab of the "Options" dialogue.


  36. Q: Can I play a sound when someone from my roster comes online?

    37. Yes, all the sound settings are in the "Sound" tab in the Options. If you want a sound to play for an event such as "Receive Online Status" then you need to select a sound file for that event by clicking on the "open folder" icon and finding a file to play. Inversely, to prevent a sound from playing for a certain event, such as receiving messages, you need to delete the path to the sound file in this area.


  37. Q: Can I change the sound when someone from my roster comes online or goes offline?

    38. Yes, you can change sounds in the "Sound" tab in the Options. Any wav file should work, see previous FAQ question.

    Issues

  38. Q: Why isn't APU Jabber Messenger working on Windows 98?

    39. Windows 98 requires the installation of Microsofts Directory Services Client. It can be found on the download page, or here. Just download and install it by following the instructions. It will require a reboot.


  39. Q: Why do I get disconnected every time I try to send a message in APU JM (win98)?

    40. There is a bug in version 2.7.0.x of APU Jabber Messenger relating to the selection of a default font. If you have selected a default font, it will be stored incorrectly. You will know you have this problem if your font selection window is blank, when you open a chat window. Sending a message at this point will disconnect you. Until Jabber Inc. provides a fix, do not change your default font.

    If you have attempted to select a default font and are experiencing this problem. Apply this Registry Fix.

    1. Exit APU Jabber Messenger completely.
    2. Download the file "98badfontfix.reg" and save it to somewhere easy to find such as "My Documents" or "Desktop". (hold down shift before clicking on the link if it doesn't download)
    3. Double Click on the file to apply the fix.
    4. Your APU Jabber Messenger is now back to normal. However, do not change your default font, otherwise you will have to repeat this process.